A JetBlue pilot subdued by passengers on his plane has connections to Wisconsin.

Clayton Osbon was on a flight bound for Las Vegas when a first officer said he began making comments like, "Things just don't matter," "We need to take a leap of faith," and, "We're not going to Vegas."

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Passengers wrestled Osbon to the ground when he left the cockpit, where he began screaming at passengers to pray.

12 News learned that Osbon is originally from the Milwaukee area.

Part of the incident was captured by a passenger's cellphone. The plane made an emergency landing in Texas, where Osbon is being evaluated at a medical facility.

"He just snapped, I think," said Bruce Duncan, an acquaintance of the Osbon family. "Mentally, he just snapped."

Dennis Krus said he had a hard time believing the pilot was his former neighbor.

"We knew him quite well," Kruse said. "We had gone to his father's funeral. His dad was also a pilot."

Kruse said Osbon's father was killed in a plane crash in 1996 in Daytona Beach, Fla. He said the whole situation is shocking to him.

"I was really surprised because Clayton was a very, very nice person and the family was very nice," he said.

"The parents were a well-thought-of family here in town," Duncan said.

Both men expressed hope that Osborn will get the help he needs.

"Very concerned that he can get some help," Kruse said.

Osbon's stepmother, Judy Osbon, later contacted the media, saying, "I have flown with Clayton on several occasions and Clayton was, in JetBlue's CEO Dave Barger's words, 'the ultimate professional.' He loved to fly, a love which he got from his dad. He also took his piloting very seriously and was very good at it. I've only known Clayton to be a cheerful, conscientious and caring person."

She said the last time she spoke to Clayton Osbon, he "was happy and upbeat like he always is."

In the statement, Judy Osbon went on to say, "My heart obviously goes out to Clayton and his wife during this time and also to the passengers and crew aboard Flight 191 who went through, what I can only imagine, was a frightening situation."